Glossary
Remote Privileged Access Management (RPAM) is a cybersecurity approach designed to control and secure remote access to systems by users with elevated privileges such as third-party vendors, IT administrators, or support engineers. RPAM is a subcategory of Privileged Access Management (PAM) that focuses on access initiated outside the organization’s network perimeter.
RPAM solutions typically provide credential vaulting, session brokering, multi-factor authentication (MFA), just-in-time (JIT) access, and session recording, enabling organizations to manage remote privileged sessions without granting full VPN access or exposing internal systems directly to external actors.
As organizations adopt remote operations and depend on external vendors to support IT and OT systems, the security of remote privileged access has become a high-stakes concern. Legacy methods like VPNs and jump servers often introduce excessive trust, lateral movement risk, and operational friction.
RPAM emerged to mitigate these risks by enforcing tighter control over who can access what, when, and how, even from remote locations. However, as analysts note, traditional RPAM tools are often IT-centric, built for managing access to enterprise systems (e.g., servers, databases, and cloud apps) but not suitable for critical infrastructure environments with: legacy or proprietary systems, air-gapped or intermittently connected networks, protocols like RDP, SSH, or VNC that require secure mediation.
For Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), RPAM solutions must go beyond credential vaulting to include disconnected access via protocol isolation, and real-time oversight, functions often found in Secure Remote Access (SRA) platforms built for OT.
Xona delivers a CPS-optimized RPAM experience by securing remote privileged access without relying on traditional network-layer trust mechanisms like VPNs, agents, or jump servers. Instead, Xona provides:
Xona supports remote vendors, contractors, and internal staff accessing critical OT, ICS, and IT systems from anywhere, without introducing security risk or operational friction. By replacing or augmenting traditional RPAM tools, Xona ensures that privileged access is fully governed, auditable, and aligned with regulatory mandates like NERC CIP, IEC 62443, NIS2, and TSA SD02E.
In short, Xona turns remote privileged access from a liability into a strength supporting Zero Trust, operational resilience, and compliance in modern critical infrastructure environments.
RPAM specifically focuses on managing privileged access that originates remotely, emphasizing secure external connectivity without exposing internal networks.
Most RPAM tools are IT-centric and lack features needed for OT, such as support for legacy systems, protocol isolation, and operation in disconnected or low-bandwidth environments.
Commonly governed protocols include RDP, SSH, and VNC, which require secure brokering to prevent direct access to sensitive OT systems.
Xona replaces traditional network-layer access with browser-based, protocol-isolated sessions that enforce MFA, credential injection, and full audit logging without requiring VPNs or agents.
RPAM is designed to manage access for both internal privileged users and external actors like vendors or contractors who need remote access to sensitive systems.
RPAM solutions like Xona help meet standards such as NERC CIP, IEC 62443, and TSA SD02E by enforcing least privilege, logging all access, and eliminating uncontrolled remote entry points.
Originally published November 30, 2025
